Pathfinder History

"A leading scholar on Ellen G. White welcomed a decision by Smithsonian magazine to name the cofounder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church as one of the 100 most significant Americans of all times.

The magazine places White in a group that includes the likes of Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and Helen Keller in its Spring 2015 issue. The individuals were chosen with the use of an algorithm that measures data taken from Wikipedia pages and Google book scans.

“It is good to see an institution of Smithsonian’s caliber giving proper acknowledgement to Ellen White,” said William Fagal, associate director of the Ellen G. White Estate, a depository of White's writings.

The cover of the Spring 2015 issue of the Smithsonian magazine that profiles its list of the 100 most significant Amercians of all time.

The cover of the Spring 2015 issue of the Smithsonian magazine that profiles its list of the 100 most significant Amercians of all time.

The Adventist Youth Emblem was designed by Elder John H. Hancock in 1980. Elder Hancock, put himself through academy and college by drawing company logos and cartoons for newspapers. John designed almost all the AY Honors since from 1960 to 1980.

An interesting story (which makes being a Youth Ministry Historian such fun), when the design was first voted Elder Hancock sent a quick letter (no cell phones or e-mail in use at that time) saying “hold it guys, we need to flip the design”. It seems that the original design had the cross and then AY which appeared to be TAY. With the design flipped it appeared as we see it today AY and a cross – signifying Adventist Youth are loyal to Jesus Christ. Elder Hancock’s letter will be on file at the Adventist Youth Ministries Museum.

In Spanish and Portuguese the same emblem is used with JA signifying Jovenes Adventista - Adventist Youth.

Who started Pathfinders? The short answer is that no one person did, but rather that a diverse group of youth-focused, God-loving, ministry-minded individuals in various location created "Pathfinder-like" clubs in various locations that eventually grew into the ministry we now know as Pathfinders.

The first Pathfinder Club of record was in Anaheim, California directed by John McKim and Willa Steen. This club began in the late 1920's and ran through the 1930's. In 1944 McKim died and the Steens had moved. In 1930 Lester and Ione Martin with co-directors Theron & Ethel Johnston began a club in Santa Ana, California.

In the spring of 1949, Henry T. Bergh, John H. Hancock, Clark Smith and Miller Brocket met for the MV Director’s Council. Among other items that were worked on, John Hancock suggested to Henry Bergh that he write a Pathfinder song. Henry replied, “I’m no song writer. I’ve never written a song and I am not a musician.”

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